Mama, Do You Love Me? (Board book)

~ (Author), (Illustrator) "Mama, do you love me?..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This exceptional board-book tells a beautiful and timeless story about a daughter's attempt to find the limit of her mother's love. Barbara Lavallee's exquisite illustrations of Alaska, with their exaggeratedly foreshortened perspective and rich tones of violet, blue-gray, and gray-green, tell of an easy declaration ("I love you more than the raven loves his treasure, more than the dog loves his tail, more than the whale loves his spout") that is pushed, and pushed, and ("What if I put salmon in your parka ... and ermine in your mukluks?") pushed. There's a quiet joyfulness in both the antics of the Inuit mother and daughter and in the animals--including a polar bear and a musk ox--that the daughter imagines she might become. A charming story for mothers and daughters of all ages. (Baby to preschool) --Richard Farr

From Publishers Weekly

A decade ago, PW called Barbara Joosse's Mama, Do You Love Me?, illus. by Barbara Lavallee, "a striking volume which uses a timeless culture to convey a timeless message." Chronicle celebrates the book's success with a 10th anniversary commemorative edition that includes a fabric jacket and a limited edition print of mother and child.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Board book: 24 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811821315
• ISBN-13: 978-0811821315
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #90,749 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Message, Great Book, July 26, 2001

By	E. Arentsen "A Busy Dad" (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mama, Do You Love Me? (Hardcover)

This story focuses on one simple question that every child thinks at one point or another. The question is whether their parents will always love them no matter what the child does. This story confirms for children young and old, that no matter what they do, their parents (mama) will still love them.

The story is delightfully told from the perspective of the Intuit culture. The mischief the child creates deals with things that are unique to that culture such as accidentally dropping ptarmigan eggs, spilling the oil in the family's lamp, slipping an emrine in mama's mukluks or turning into a Walrus. My son and I enjoy talking about how different cultures live and what they believe and this book has started some fun conversations.

I believe the story does not prompt children into asking the "wrong" question as mentioned in other reviews. The story promotes the idea of a parent's love and acceptance no matter what their little hellion does and does it with a wonderful story and captivating artwork. This has become one of our favorite books.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What every child should know without a doubt!, September 2, 2005

By	KSL "emma-and-me" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This is such an awesome book! And even though my daughter is only 32 months old she already asks for this book by name! It's such a simple concept... no matter what you do, your parents love you. It is so important that children know this. Their actions might not be the best but that does not change a parents love for their child.

I love the how each page is just focused on the Mama and her daughter & doll, that the artist choose just to have them alone on the page. I also like seeing different cultures and how they live, I think it is important for our children to see how other children live.

My favorite pages are the last several ones... " What if I turned into a olar bear, and I was the meanest bear you ever saw and I had sharp, sharp teeth, and I chased you into your tentand you cried? Then I would be very surprised and very scared. But still, inside the bear you would be you, and I would love you. I will love you, forever and for always, because you are my Dear One.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful pictures, wonderful message, September 16, 1999

By A Customer

I discovered this book at a friend's house. Even thought they had the book for only a few weeks, their five-year old had requested it so often, she already had the entire thing memorized!

The pictures are absolutely beautiful, with wonderful details, and the text brought tears to my eyes. It is a wonderful, honest, reassuring discussion between a mother and child... that even though what the child does may, on occassion, make a parent angry, sad, or frightened, they will always be loved.